The Effect of Integrating Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy on Lifestyle of Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Psychological distresses and stresses are believed to significantly increase the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In contrast, healthy lifestyle plays an effective role in the prevention and treatment of IBS. The present article investigated the effect of integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy on the lifestyle of patients with IBS in Tehran. This study was quasi-experimental (pre-test, post-test, and a one-month follow-up design, and a control group). The statistical population herein included all the women with IBS referred to the Gastroenterology Research Center of Shariati Hospital in Tehran in 2020. We selected 30 patients who were willing to participate in the study using convenience sampling and randomly divided them into the control and experimental groups (n=15 per group). The experimental group underwent 12 sessions (90-minute sessions, two days a week) of integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy, yet the control group received no intervention. The research instrument included the Lifestyle Questionnaire (LSQ). Data analysis was carried out using repeated measures ANOVA. The results indicated that integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy effectively improved lifestyles in women with IBS (p <0.001). The mean post-test and follow-up scores of the experimental group were 162.58±30.83 and 166.00±26.61, respectively, which increased compared to the pre-test (110.58±10.02), post-test (107.17±9.52), and follow-up (103.33±7.24) of the control group. Integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy could be recommended as an effective training to improve the lifestyle of women with IBS.